Al-Bashair Trading Company, Ltd

Press reporting and information available to the U.S. government indicate that the Al-Bashair Trading Company Limited acted as the largest of Iraq's arms procurement front companies until the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom and was involved in a range of sanctions busting and corruption schemes on behalf of the former regime. Al-Bashair reported directly to the Organization of Military Industrialization, the Iraqi state enterprise responsible for Iraq's military procurement programs headed by former Deputy Prime Minister Abd-al-Tawab Mullah Huwaysh. Huwaysh is named by the United Nations as a senior official of the former Iraqi regime on the list established pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1483. Investigative reporting by the Los Angeles Times on 30 December 2003 based on documents removed from Al-Bashair's Baghdad headquarters describes a variety of deals involving sham contracts, kickbacks, falsified export documentation and money laundering designed to deceive UN inspectors and deliver, among other things, missile components, surveillance equipment and tank barrels to the former Iraqi regime. The company also allegedly helped senior officeals of the former regime launder and hide Iraqi government funds. Munir Al-Qubaysi, the director of Al-Bashair, left Iraq prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom and is currently residing in Syria.

Press reporting and information available to the U.S. government indicate that the Al-BashairTrading Company Limited acted as the largest of Iraq's arms procurement front companies until the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom and was involved in a range of sanctions busting and corruptionschemes on behalf of the former regime. Al-Bashair reported directly to the Organization of MilitaryIndustrialization, the Iraqi state enterprise responsible for Iraq's military procurement programs headedby former Deputy Prime Minister Abd-al-Tawab Mullah Huwaysh. Huwaysh is named by the UnitedNations as a senior official of the former Iraqi regime on the list established pursuant to SecurityCouncil Resolution 1483. Investigative reporting by the Los Angeles Times on 30 December 2003based on documents removed from Al-Bashair's Baghdad headquarters describes a variety of dealsinvolving sham contracts, kickbacks, falsified export documentation and money laundering designedto deceive UN inspectors and deliver, among other things, missile components, surveillanceequipment and tank barrels to the former Iraqi regime. The company also allegedly helped seniorofficeals of the former regime launder and hide Iraqi government funds. Munir Al-Qubaysi, thedirector of Al-Bashair, left Iraq prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom and is currently residing in Syria.

報道及び米国政府が入手した情報によれば、アル・バシャーイル貿易有限会社はイラクの自由作戦の開始までイラク最大の軍事調達の偽装会社として活動し、前政権にかわって一連の制裁破りや腐敗の枠組みに関与していた。アル・バシャーイル社は、前副首相アブドル・タワブ・ムッラー・フワイシャが率いるイラクの軍事調達計画に責任を持つイラク国営企業である軍事産業機構に直接報告していた。フワイシャは安全保障理事会決議1483に基づき作成されたリスト上で前イラク政権の高官として国連により名指しされている。アル・バシャーイル社のバグダッド本部から持ち出された文書に基づく2003年12月30日付ロサンゼルスタイムスの調査報告は、国連査察官を欺き、ミサイル部品、監視装置、戦車の砲身等を前イラク政権に届けるべく計画された虚偽契約、賄賂、虚偽の輸出書類及び資金洗浄を含む数多くの取引について記述している。

この会社は、前政権高官による資金洗浄及びイラク政府資金の隠匿を助けたとされている。アル・バシャーイル社の重役であるムニール・アル・クバイシーはイラクの自由作戦以前にイラクを去り、現在シリアに居住している。